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tion of sinfulness and the acknowledgment of guilt, as in a confession of this kind, is the first step toward true repentance.

PLEA FOR The Renewal oF JEHOVAH'S LOVE. V. 17. For this, on account of the great afflictions, well deserved as they were, our heart is faint, with the bitterness of the soul's pain; for these things are our eyes dim, the sorrow of the heart finding its expression in tears. V. 18. Because of the mountain of Zion, where the Temple had formerly stood, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it, jackals making their dens in its ruins. In the midst of all this sorrow, however, the hearts of the believers turn to the true source of comfort and consolation. V. 19. Thou, O Lord, remainest forever, sitting as the one true Monarch ruling the entire world; Thy throne from generation to generation, through all eternity. V. 20. Wherefore dost Thou forget us forever and forsake us so long

time? That Jehovah should be so inclined is beyond the conception of the inspired poet; he firmly believes that the Lord will yet remember His mercy. V. 21. Turn Thou us unto Thee, O Lord, by a true conversion, which is the work of the Lord alone, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old, restoring them to their position as His children, as His Church, as in former times. V. 22. But, or "Unless," Thou hast utterly rejected us; Thou art very wroth against us. It is hardly plausible that God's anger is so excessively great as to cause Him to shut out His repentant children forever. Thus the song of supplication, the prayer for mercy, ends with a statement of assurance, which hopes for a speedy fulfilment of its desire. Herein it is a model prayer for all times; for in the very midst of misery and affliction the believers are bound still to trust in the compassion of their heavenly Father.

This book, as the introductory paragraph clearly states, was written by Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, a priest of Jerusalem. He belonged to that company of Jews which had been carried into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon about 597 B. C., some ten years before the destruction of the city. In the fifth year of his captivity he was called by God in a majestic vision to be His prophet. In this capacity he labored for at least twenty-two years among the captive Jews. He lived in the northern part of Mesopotamia, at Tel-a-bib, by the river Chebar. He owned a house there and was married. He apparently enjoyed the confidence of his fellow-exiles, for their elders frequently sought his advice and guidance; yet he shared the lot of other true prophets inasmuch as most of his hearers did not hearken to him nor do his words. The fall of Jerusalem served to give his words more emphasis and established his standing in a fair measure. The last date given in his book is the twentyseventh year of the captivity; but we do not know how long he lived after that.

The special problem of Ezekiel was to testify to the Babylonian Jews, who were, for the most part, in comfortable circumstances and had built up a lively commerce with the Jews still remaining in Judea, but were still hardhearted and idolatrous, showing them that the destruction of Jerusalem was not only inevitable, but also well deserved under the circumstances, lest they harden their hearts by a false comfort and refuse to be brought to repentance. It was necessary, moreover, to

dissipate the false and foolish hopes which had been raised in the hearts of the exiled Jews by the alleged visions of false prophets and prophetesses. Ezekiel was eminently fitted for this task, for he possessed an unusual measure of mental and spiritual gifts; he had a good education; he had the priestly attitude and viewpoint; he was endowed with a wonderful imagination and a powerful gift of oratory; and he had received the firmness and courage for his difficult calling in an unusual degree. His activity, therefore, had a decisive influence on the development of the Jewish people during the Exile. Nor is it to be overlooked that one of the objects of Ezekiel's ministry was to comfort the true believers among the people, the faithful few who felt the loss of the Temple and its cult very deeply and longed for the salvation which was to come out of Zion.

The style of Ezekiel's book is in accordance with the energetic, fiery character of the prophet. While a part of his prophecy is in the didactic form and teaches in the usual manner of parables and proverbs, the general trend of his writing is toward symbolism and allegory, a fact which makes some parts of his book somewhat difficult to explain satisfactorily. But his object is always clearly presented, especially in the Messianic prophecies which we have in this book. Mingled with the messages of divine wrath and punishment we find sweet promises to the effect that God will not utterly destroy the entire nation, but will preserve a remnant of His people and at the end of seventy years bring them back to

Palestine and pour out upon them the blessings of His mercy. But the climax of the book is reached in the passages describing the Shepherd whom the Lord has promised to set up over His redeemed people, and in those speaking of the promised King.

The outline of the Book of Ezekiel may easily be discerned. The introductory section, chap. 1, 1-3, 21, speaks of the call and commission of the prophet. Then follow prophecies concerning the destruction of Jerusalem,

up to and including chapter 24. We next find prophecies regarding the heathen nations, the enemies of God's people, chaps. 25–39. The last part is a prophetical description of the future glory of God's kingdom under the picture of the division of Canaan and of the New Jerusalem, chaps. 40-48.1)

1) Cp. Fuerbringer, Einleitung in das Alte Testament, 72-74; Concordia Bible Class, May, 1919, 72-75.

Ezekiel's Vision of God's Glory. THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES. V. 1. Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, either of the prophet's life or of some period or era which can no longer be definitely determined, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, for, having been led into captivity with Jehoiachin, he settled near this stream, which may have been one of the large irrigation ditches of the Euphrates Valley, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God, the very first sentence of his book thus emphasizing Ezekiel's divine authorization. He was in a state of ecstasy, during which divine revelations were vouchsafed him, as opposed to any visions of his own heart, the empty fancies of false prophets. Note that Ezekiel names the thirtieth year, this being the one in which the priests entered upon the duties of their office. So God here prepared His servant, not by an unreal hallucination, but by an actual manifestation, for the ministry in which he was to testify of the Word made known to him. The time is now further specified with reference to a well-known date. V. 2. In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, with whom the second company of exiles had been brought to Babylon, v. 3. the word of the Lord came expressly, or "verily, truly," so that there can be no doubt of the fact, unto Ezekiel, the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him, so that, by this divine manifestation of power, he was endowed with the faculty of seeing and proclaiming heavenly truths. The prophet now immediately launches forth in a description of the heavenly vision. V. 4. And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, an emblem of God's mighty judgments, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, literally, "taking itself within itself," which does not merely mean, formed into a ball or lump of fire, but at the same time flashing as if there was a continual kindling of flame within the fiery mass forming the center of the cloud, and a brightness was

about it, so that it glowed like gold being refined in the assayer's furnace, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, metal glowing in the melting-pot, out of the midst of the fire, as though the heart of it were made of polished brass. V. 5. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man, possessing the general structure of a human body. V. 6. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings, similarly as the seraphim in Is. 6, 2 had six wings apiece. V. 7. And their feet, evidently only two in number, were straight feet, literally, "a foot of straightness," not only firm, but without a bend at the knee, altogether upright and symmetrical; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot, standing vertically, not horizontally; and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass, thereby indicating the purity of God's essence and the glory of His avenging justice. V. 8. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides, the wings thus being fastened at the shoulders, whence the hands proceeded likewise; and they four had their faces and their wings, one each on every one of the four sides. V. 9. Their wings were joined one to another, connected or interlaced with one another. They turned not when they went, namely, in twisted maneuvers; they went every one straight forward, due to the fact that their wings were thus joined. V. 10. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man and the face of a lion on the right side, namely, of one beholding them; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle, evidently on the side turned away from the beholder. The meaning of these four faces may have been to symbolize the strength, the power, the wisdom, and the nearness of God. V. 11. Thus were their faces; and their wings were stretched upward, literally, "parted from above," the heads being set on four separate necks; two wings of every one were joined one to another, the ends of the outstretched pinions being thus inter

laced, and two covered their bodies, as in holy fear and reverence in the presence of God. V. 12. And they went every one straight forward, keeping their direction with unswerving directness; whither the spirit, the life-breath of God in them, was to go, they went, the four acting always in perfect unison; and they turned not when they went, in confusing maneuvers. V. 13. As for the likeness of the living creatures, the impression made by their appearance in general, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like kindled coals, and like the appearance of lamps, in a quick and flickering motion, like the play of lightning; it went up and down among the living creatures, moving back and forth between them; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning, in a threatening effect toward the outside. V. 14. And the liv

ing creatures ran and returned, always straight before them, as the appearance of a flash of lightning, with the suddenness of an electric flash. The Lord, if He so chooses, is able to reveal His will in a most startling and majestic manner, as also some phenomena of nature show to this day.

THE FOUR-FACED WHEELS AND THE FOUR CREATURES. V. 15. Now, as I beheld the living creatures, which were associated with the menacing cloud and must therefore be thought of as being elevated above the earth, behold one wheel upon the earth, that is, a unit of four wheels in one, by the living creatures, with his four faces, toward their four fronts. V. 16. The appearance of the wheels and their work, their make-up, their workmanship and shape, was like unto the color of a beryl, of the chrysolite, which had a yellow color, as of clear fire; and they four had one likeness, and their appearance and their work, their shape as seen by the prophet, was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel, the one set crosswise within the other, as in a gyroscope. V. 17. When they went, they went upon their four sides, they could go in four directions, due to that double construction; and they turned not when they went, just like the four creatures. V. 18. As for their rings, the felloes of the wheels, they were so high that they were dreadful, on account of the effect of sublimity; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four, this fact introducing the element of life. V. 19. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them, being always in the closest relation to them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up, the impulse being transmitted to them in some unexplained manner. V. 20. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go, following the direction taken by the creatures; and the wheels were lifted up over against them; for the spirit

of the living creature was in the wheels. V. 21. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, as the cloud lifted up in its onward course, the wheels were lifted up over against them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. The wheels thus, both when moving and when standing still, were governed by the motion and the rest of the living creatures because the same spirit of life animated them both. This scene is now brought in relation to the description of Jehovah's throne. V. 22. And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the color of the terrible crystal, literally, "a likeness over the head of the living creature, like unto the appearance of crystal, of the fearful," stretched forth over their heads above. The dazzling clearness and purity of the glittering crystal caused the spectator to feel awe, as from the reflection of the Creator's splendor. V. 23. And under the firmament were their wings straight, raised aloft as they moved forward in an erect position, the one toward the other; every one had two, which covered on this side, when let down, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. "The tips of the wings (of the pair of wings serving for flight) reach along to the vault. For support they are not adapted, and particularly for this reason that the wings, v. 24, make a loud noise and are therefore in free motion; and further, because upon occasion they are let down. The wheels also do not support the chariot. The local proximity seems only to indicate the connection between the several provinces of creation; it is meant to represent the creation as a united whole." (Hengstenberg.) V. 24. And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, of the surging and roaring of the ocean, as the voice of the Almighty, in the thunder of His power, the voice of speech, a dull, confused noise as of a tumult, as the noise of an host; when they stood, they let down their wings, in reverential rest before the only living God, who now puts a restraint on the fierceness of the creatures in carrying out the divine wrath. V. 25. And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, a command from Jehovah Himself, when they stood and had let down their wings, in full and submissive silence, awaiting the commands of Him who has power over all created beings. V. 26. And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, that being the highest object in the prophet's vision, as the appearance of a sapphire stone, a sky-blue, or violet-colored stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it, the God

head thus appearing in the likeness of enthroned humanity. Cp. Ex. 24, 10. V. 27. And I saw as the color of amber, like metal glowing in the refiner's furnace, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about, the glow apparently enclosed within a definite space. V. 28. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, the rainbow occupying a well-defined area of brilliancy, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. Cp. Rev. 4, 3. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord, in this way Ezekiel received some impression of

the exalted majesty of the Lord of the covenant, of the true God. A similar experience was accorded the prophet upon three subsequent occasions. Cp. chap. 3, 22 ff.; 8, 4 ff.; 43, 1 ff. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, a sinful man overcome by the glorious majesty of the holy God, and I heard the voice of one that spake. The purpose of God in granting this vision to Ezekiel was to reveal His almighty and merciful presence as the Lord and King whose power extends over the whole world, who has the strength to judge the heathen and to deliver His people, now held in shameful captivity, and let them once more enjoy the beauty of His grace. Would that the believers of all times, yea, all men, might receive the Word of the Lord with the same humility here shown by the prophet.

The Commission of Ezekiel to Be the Lord's Prophet.

The Lord, having revealed Himself to His servant in the fulness of His divine power and majesty, now issued to him the formal call, extended to him the formal commission to be His prophet to the rebellious Jews. V. 1. And He said unto me, Son of man, the name reminding him of the frailty of the human race, but also of the fact that the Lord here addressed him as a man speaks to his friends, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. V. 2. And the spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, with divine power enabling him to stand before the face of God and to receive his commission, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him that spake unto me, ready to heed and to carry out His commands. V. 3. And He said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, the expression here referring to Israel as a nation, not as the Lord's people, to a rebellious nation, on a level with the heathen nations, that hath rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very day.

Those who should have been true sons of him who wrestled and prevailed in faith with God and man had sunk to the level of the heathen world, with its rebellious attitude over against all that was right and good. V. 4. For they are impudent children, with hard faces, devoid of all shame, and stiff-hearted, without the slightest inclination toward repentance. I do send thee unto them, in spite of this condition of their understanding and of their heart; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Jehovah, the God of the covenant, who here delegated and commissioned Ezekiel to be His personal representative, giving him the very words of the message to the rebellious people. V. 5. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forPopular Commentary, Old Test., II.

bear, no matter what their attitude toward the Lord's proclamation would be, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them, this admission being forced from them in spite of their rebellious and insolent behavior. V. 6. And thou, son of man, a minister of the Lord in spite of his natural frailty, be not afraid of them, with a timidity caused by the insulting impudence of his hearers, neither be afraid of their words, with which they would challenge his authority and ridicule his testimony, though briers and thorns be with thee, namely, in the persons of these refractory, hostile people, and thou dost dwell among scorpions, arachnids, with poisonous stings in their tails, this name being fitly applied to such dangerous persons as would oppose the prophet's labors; be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. The proof of Ezekiel's divine commission would be exhibited in the fulfilment of his prophecies, and the enemies would thereby be confounded. V. 7. And thou shalt speak My words unto them, the fact of the divine inspiration of Ezekiel's prophecies being repeated thus with special emphasis, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; for they are most rebellious. V. 8. But thou, son of man, by birth and descent a member of this rebellious nation, hear what I say unto thee, Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house, thereby to become guilty of the same insolent behavior; open thy mouth and eat that I give thee, in a symbolical action which explains itself. V. 9. And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me, extended toward the prophet; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein, as books were written in those days, the characters inscribed on long strips of parchment, which were then usually rolled up; v. 10. and 33

He spread it before me, unrolling the parchment strip before his astonished eyes; and it was written within and without, on both sides of the parchment, indicating also a writing of great size; and there was written therein lamentations and mourning and woe, this being the message which the prophet

was to set forth, as included in this his book of prophecy. It is doubly hard for a believer to maintain his faith if in the very churchbody of which he is a member things occur which have a tendency to offend him deeply; but it is in just such circumstances that faith will be tested.

The Prophet's Further Commission. DIVINE STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF CERTAIN OPPOSITION. V. 1. Moreover, He said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest, the book being something that he did not seek, but which was placed before him; eat this roll and go speak unto the house of Israel, to whom the first part of Ezekiel's prophecy is addressed. V. 2. So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that roll, the prophet's eating signifying his acceptance of the Lord's commission. V. 3. And He said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee, so that the Word of God contained in the roll would, as it were, become the very substance of his being. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness, for, because its contents were the Word of God, expressed the will of Jehovah, Ezekiel delighted in them, painful though their import was with regard to his fellow-countrymen. Cp. Ps. 19, 10; 119, 103. The taste of the roll in his mouth filled him with a cheerful alacrity. Cp. 1 Sam. 14, 29. V. 4. And He said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, the members of the prophet's own nation, and speak with My words unto them, the entire message being given by inspiration of God. V. 5. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, literally, "obscure of lip and difficult of tongue," that is, a nation whose language was unknown to him, whose entire trend of thought was obscure, whose interpretation would offer unusual difficulties, but to the house of Israel, in whose case the language, at least, would offer no insurmountable obstacle; v. 6. not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, so that the learning of a number of languages and dialects would increase the difficulties of communication and therefore of proclaiming the Lord's will, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they, in spite of all the obstacles and hindrances just enumerated, would have hearkened unto thee, showing less obstinacy and thus a corresponding greater interest in the prophet's message than the members of his own people. V. 7. But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee, will show no interest in the prophet's message, will refuse to be obedient; for they will not hearken

unto Me, as the history of the last centuries had shown; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted, literally, “hard of forehead and stiff of heart are they," thoroughly obstinate and rebellious. There was need of unusual firmness in dealing with this situation, ard this the Lord provided for His servant. V. 8. Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, filling him with indomitable courage, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads, in unshakable determination. V. 9. As an adamant, the diamond, hardest of precious stones, harder than flint have I made thy forehead; fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, blasphemous and hostile though they were, though they be a rebellious house. Cp. chap. 2, 4–6. V. 10. Moreover, He said unto me, in further preparation for the work of his peculiar ministry, Son of man, all My words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart and hear with thine ears, in perfect obedience, in ready acceptance, with a willing understanding, so that they would be translated into right action. V. 11. And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, with whom the first part of his message was concerned, and speak unto them and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. This is the attitude which ought to characterize the Lord's servants at all times: to preach the Word regardless of consequences. The plea of the need of pastoral tact which is often made by opportunists tends to make this a cloak to shield moral cowardice.

EZEKIEL AS WATCHMAN.

- V. 12. Then the Spirit took me up, so that he would at once be placed into a position where he might perform the work of his calling, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, a tumultuous noise, saying, Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place, going forth, from His throne, into all the world, manifested even in the great disasters which I would strike the rebellious Jews. V. 13. I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, literally, "kissed each other," the one toward her sister, said of the gentle touch of the ends of the wings, and the noise of the wheels over against them and a noise of a great rushing, the vision of chapter 1 thus being